Starbucks in hot water with group of veterans

News Talk Radio KRMG, Tulsa/Barlesville, OK ^ | Nov 17, 2011 | April Hill

[HeadOn]

This weekend will be quite the spectacle in Bartlesville.

A group of Oklahoma veterans plans to picket the Starbucks.

Tjuana Boulanger, says, "This is how we feel. We will not support Starbucks anymore in Bartlesville." Boulanger was at the coffee shop last Saturday when a manager kicked the veterans of the property and called police for trespassing.

The vets were on motorcycles to attend the funeral for Sgt. Chris Gailey. He was killed recently in Afghanistan.

Boulanger says, "At one point I looked over and I saw one of the workers out with an apron out in the parking lot screaming at somebody." [Boulanger] is one of the organizers asking everyone to boycott Starbucks on Friday.

They’ll picket outside the Bartlesville store on Saturday. The organizer says, "It wasn't just one they upset. Everybody down there was upset."

Starbucks did issue a statement apologizing for the manager's behavior right after the incident. Still, the protest seems to be spreading.

[Zakeet]

Not sure if this is an "offend me" idiot, or an "I'm in charge here" idiot. But an idiot, for sure.

My father served in World War II (USAAC). He remained an active advocate for veterans from the time of his discharge through his recent death ... devoting thousands of hours to their cause. Much of his service came through his active membership in both the American Legion and the VFW.

At the conclusion of his funeral, as I left the church, I was greeted by these motorcycle hoodlums. Since we lived not too far from Bartlesville, it is likely some were from the same group that offended the Starbucks idiot manager.

The monsters had turned up without any prior notice to the family. We were completely surprised! They lined the path from the front door of the church to the hearse. An honor guard. Standing silently. At attention. Several dozen U.S. flags flowing softly in the breeze.

As the eldest son, I was so overwhelmed that I had to personally greet the beasts. In tears, I shook every man's hand and thanked him for honoring my father. It was the kindest gesture paid to him ... out of many. Dad would have been (was) so proud!

I wish I could be there this weekend ... although the way I feel at the present time ... it's a damn good thing for Starbucks that I can't make it. And I don't think I will ever again be able to stomach another cup of their overpriced swill.

[SkyDancer]

[HiTech RedNeck]

Mongols — those are genuine 1%ers. That might be who the Starbucks manager chased off, not realizing he was dealing with an outlaw gang! Good thing the manager didn’t end up with some fresh ventilation.

[MattAMiller]

Starbucks attracts the most mainstream clientele on earth it’s not like we’re talking about some feminist co-op here

[HiTech RedNeck]

patriot guard protest of westburros was unexpectedly joined by vulgar outlaw gang, which in turn p*ssed off a starbucks manager.

it sounds like a big misunderstanding on the part of the manager and there’s no need to crucify the manager or starbucks for this.

[PATRIOT1876]

It was bad enough that Starbucks decided to appease the econuts that are probably a frightening large percentage of their customers by promoting the hoax-based AGW lie.
But to disrespect veterans is too much.

I'm hoping that they're have to reduce the price of their coffee to 25 cents just to stay in business. When they close, I a patriotic company that respects soldiers and believes in real science takes over.

[Mark17]

If I were the Starbucks manager, and I realized the veterans were gathering for a fallen serviceman, I would have given each one of them a free coffee and a public “thank you.”

Maybe he is an Obama supporter. That would explain alot.

[HeadOn]

God Bless you. You do know I was talking about the Starbucks manager, right?

[HeadOn]

Really? I think it must be different where you live. There are a lot of “better-than-you” Starbucks patrons around here...

[Salamander]

Don’t worry.

The Mongols are famous for forgiving and forgetting.

[the SB manager has a head start...I wholeheartedly suggest that he makes good use of it]

[Salamander]

Sorry dude.

I’m siding with the bikers.

Always.

[Salamander]

I live in Hillbilly World yet somehow, the granola-crunching, Birkenstock wearing, tie-dyed hippie scum manage to congregate at the local SB to suck down the rank java and suck up the free WiFi.

Every SB must emit some kind of a Freak Beacon signal and only they can hear it.

[Zakeet]

You do know I was talking about the Starbucks manager, right?

Of course. There would have been no doubt if it were otherwise.

[BfloGuy]

it sounds like a big misunderstanding on the part of the manager and there’s no need to crucify the manager or starbucks for this.

That's what it sounds like to me. I couldn't even tell from the article if they were patronizing the Starbucks or just "borrowing" the parking lot. Probably looked like a bunch of scum to him.

Even people we consider "in the right" get offended too easily these days. A boycott is dumb.

[LouAvul]

I rather doubt that's the whole story. It's Bartlesville, OK. That's just north of Tulsa. I'm in Tulsa. It's a pretty patriotic area.

I'd still like to hear the rest of the story.

[HiTech RedNeck]

i think there’s a time and place for even outlaw bikers to mind their manners. this would be one of them.

[HiTech RedNeck]

if starbucks really thinks that conventional utilities cause the globe to harmfully warm, then it ought to be installing e-cats or windmills or sumfin at all of its locations to brew the coffee, light the facility, and keep it heated or air conditioned. until then they’re hypocrites.

[Salamander]

“Side note - This bit from the first comment on the article would seem to back up the part about the vulgar signs: “....I was in the middle of those groups and they did nothing wrong and was there to support the troops..just because they had things on their signs that others do not have the balls to put does not mean they are or were in the wrong...”

---

I’ll take ‘balls’ over manners any day.

I really, REALLY hate “PC”.

This country is where it is due to a lack of “balls”.

I stand with the bikers.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Well if it should come to a constitutional staredown, the 1st amendment lets you say as filthy things as you wish to the Westburros, but it doesn’t let you use any person’s property for that purpose if they do not consent to it. That may be for any reason they wish, whether it’s because they love the Westburros, or because they want to dampen down any possible riot, or because they flipped a coin that morning and it came up heads. The constitution does not care why when stopping at that point. And a stand “with the bikers” (rather than “with the veterans”) sounds particularly odd; what if it wasn’t Westburros they were cursing about? What if it were upset stomachs after having too much Bud Light? Should there be a “biker amendment” in the Constitution that says bikers may swear on anybody’s property?

[Salamander]

From what I’ve read in several biker forum posts by people who were actually there, the ‘vulgar’ clubs were there to support the vet being buried.

The WBC went over the top [what a surprise] and the 1%ers didn’t back down.

One of the PGR chapter heads said that they had a goodly number of ‘outlaw bikers’ amongst their ranks who rode faithfully for fallen vets.

Maybe they got fed up with seeing signs saying the dead soldiers deserved to die and were going to hell.

It wouldn’t take seeing much of that to make me get “vulgar”.

Don’t be too surprised if Phelps thinks he’s found himself another group to harass into giving him more lawsuit fodder by provoking them to rash actions.

It’s what he does.